Darjeeling ‘Queen of the hills’ is undoubtedly the most famous hill station in India with its exquisite scenic beauty. Besides, Darjeeling is also popular for its heritages since the colonial period. Darjeeling is located in West Bengal in the Mahabharat Range or Lesser Himalaya at an elevation of 2,134 meters (6,982 ft.). It is a frontier district, running up between Nepal and Bhutan and extending from the plains of Bengal on the south to the State of Sikkim on the north. Darjeeling is popular for both tangible and intangible heritages. The climate, tea, tourism, trade, railways, Victorian buildings, and trans-Himalayan culture enrich the hills. In Darjeeling heritage is both sources of identity and cultural expression. Darjeeling became the official summer capital of the Bengal Presidency in the colonial period. Let’s enjoy the different sets of heritages of Darjeeling hills with this beautiful video.

Natural Heritage:

Climate:

The climate of Darjeeling was attractive to the British. It had a mean temperature of 5 degrees Centigrade in winter and 15 degrees Centigrade in summer. The town continued to grow as a tourist destination. Due to its climate and geographic location, Darjeeling had many advantages to offer to the British Masters. Europeans established a sanatorium in Darjeeling. They saw it in their Imperial interest to visit the area under the direct supervision and persistent vigil. The Officers of the Geological Survey have wisely explored the mountainous district of Darjeeling.

Tea:

The Darjeeling tea plantation industry is not only an enterprise of yielding monetary benefits. But it also satiates our eyes with their natural beauty. The British encouraged the boom of plantation industry not only for an economic bonanza. They also enhanced and beautified the place with the elixir of greenery. Tea gardens are one of the vital elements of natural heritage in Darjeeling. The Darjeeling tea industry is a part and parcel of the colonial economy. It is world-famous for its muscatel flavour. The mystique of Darjeeling tea is a combination of natural factors such as climate, elevation, type of tea bushes, soil, etc. Darjeeling tea is indeed the ‘Champagne of Teas’.

Flora and Fauna:

Darjeeling Himalaya is very rich in flora and fauna and also in biodiversity. Darjeeling Himalayas attracts plant adventurers, botanists, and scientists since the eighteenth century.  Flora around Darjeeling covers oak, sal, semi-evergreen, calm, and elevated timberlands. Thick evergreen woods of sal and oak lie around the town including the orchids. “Dhupi” or an evergreen pine tree and “Lali Guras” or Rhododendron grows richly here. Darjeeling looks fantastic in the spring. Even today, one can observe thick woods of both deciduous and evergreen trees in and around Darjeeling town. We can get varieties of birds and fowls and also small mammals.

Tourism:

The grand scenic beauty and climate of the Darjeeling Himalaya have promoted tourism as an important industry. Tourism developed in Darjeeling in different forms. Tourism has emerged to be a revolutionizing phenomenon since colonial times. The early twentieth century saw the arrival of tourism within the sort of mountaineering. Darjeeling witnesses breathtaking panoramic views of grand Mount Kanchenjunga. It is also the world’s third-highest mountain. We can also enjoy an outstanding view of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest from Tiger hill.

Cultural Heritage:

The culture of Darjeeling, like India, is quite diverse and unique. Each ethnic group has its distinct cultural traits. Darjeeling is an ‘ethnological museum’. Darjeeling is popular for its liberal and cosmopolitan identity and cultural diversity.

The Nepali language gradually establishes a bond of cultural unity and an ethnic linkage among various groups in Darjeeling. In Darjeeling, we find the essence of ecclesiastical interest in diverse religions and festivals. Moreover, we find the combination of all religious institutions. Darjeeling possesses Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, Hindu temples, Masjids (Mosques), Buddhist monasteries and gumphas, Gurudwara, and so on. Despite the ethnic complexities of the Darjeeling district, composite culture began to grow here.

There are several heritage places in Darjeeling. We have ‘Mahakal Dara’ in Observatory Hill. It is the oldest place in Darjeeling. Similarly, Buddhist monasteries are the epitome of peace and tranquillity in Darjeeling. For instance, Yiga Choeling (Old Ghum) monastery, Dali Monastery, Tamang monastery, and Bhutia Basti monastery are famous ones. Darjeeling has always been a crossroads for the trans-Himalayan heritage.

Colonial Heritage:

The colonial heritage of Darjeeling is evident with many indicators of development. Darjeeling has a profitable tea plantation industry, tourism, ecclesiastical and Victorian buildings, and railways. All these generate a sense of belonging and attachment to the town. There are several colonial (heritage) architecture and buildings in Darjeeling. St. Andrew’s Church, Clock Tower, Darjeeling Municipality building, old bungalows, and cottage houses are the best specimen of British architecture.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway:

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) or ‘Toy Train’ is the phenomenal technical and cultural contribution of the colonial period since 1881. It is a renowned and world-famous mountain railway engineered by the British. It passes through Ghoom at an elevation of about 2,258 meters (7,407 ft). Ghoom is also the highest railway station in India. Toy train also welcomes both local and foreign tourists who visit here. DHR has declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1999.

Sidrapong:

Darjeeling was the first town in India to get electricity. Sidrapong is the oldest hydel power station or hydroelectric power plant in India situated in Darjeeling. Sidrapong commissioned on 10 November 1897 by Sir C. C. Stevens, the Acting Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. It is also Asia’s first Hydroelectric Power Station. The Government of India announced Sidrapong Hydel Power Station as a heritage project.

The colonial legacy of trans-Himalayan trade:

Darjeeling surrounded by the Himalayan countries like Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim (before 1975) are both strategically and commercially important. Darjeeling was soon to become the gateway through which the commerce and culture of the West could reach Central Asia. The British stressed the importance of Darjeeling as a health resort or hill station. Moreover, Darjeeling also served for transfrontier commerce and defense of the Northern Frontier of India. Here, It played an important role in the trans-Himalayan trade. Darjeeling acted as a trading post or entrepot for goods from Calcutta which then made its way to the Tibetan markets of Lhasa.

No doubt, the potential for sustainable development lay in the both tangible and intangible heritages of Darjeeling hills. The legacy of Darjeeling inherited from the past should be maintained within the present and bestowed to future generations.